Архив метки: diversity

CONSERVATION PRIORITIZATION CRITERIA TO IDENTIFY RARITY OF THE PLANT SPECIES, HABITATS AND COMMUNITIES IN THE LAHAUL VALLEY, TRANS NORTH-WESTERN HIMALAYA, INDIA

Arid Ecosystems

UDC 574.472

Singh A., Samant S.S., Manohar L., Sharma P. CONSERVATION PRIORITIZATION CRITERIA TO IDENTIFY RARITY OF THE PLANT SPECIES, HABITATS AND COMMUNITIES IN THE LAHAUL VALLEY, TRANS NORTH-WESTERN HIMALAYA, INDIA // Arid ecosystems. 2022. V.28. № 3 (92). P. 23-44. | PDF

The rapid increase in the rarity of species is an alarming threat that the world is facing today. Like other mountainous regions of the world, fragile mountains in the Himalayas are facing tremendous pressure for species extinction. The studied data at the locality site-specific level in comparison to the global and country-level status has realized us to analyze the extinction rate for monitoring. By realizing the importance, criteria based survey analysis of each species on various habitats, distribution range patterns, population size, use pattern, extraction trend, native and endemic species were evaluated. A total of 255 threatened species (20 critical endangered, 30 endangered, 60 vulnerable, and 144 near-threaten) were identified from the Lahaul valley in parts of the Cold desert north-western Himalaya, India. The studies themselves suggest the occurrence of maximum biotic and abiotic pressures with limited diversity. The altitudinal zone 2800-3800 m AMSL; habitats (forest, shady moist, dry, rocky, bouldery, and grassland); and communities of trees (Cedrus deodara-Acer cappadocicum mixed, Juglans regia-Ulmus wallichiana-Acer acuminatum mixed, Salix fragilis-Fraxinus xanthoxyloides mixed, Abies pindrow-Pinus wallichiana mixed and Crataegus songarica), shrubs (Juniperus indica, Juniperus communis-Rosa webbiana mixed, Spiraea canescens, Salix pycnostachya, Lonicera obovata, Cassiope fastigiata, Juniperus communis-Lonicera obovata mixed, Hippophae rhamnoides ssp. turkestanica and Rhododendron anthopogon-Salix lindleyana mixed), and herbs (Waldheimia glabra-Leontopodium himalayanum-Rhodiola heterodontata-Agrostis stolonifera mixed and Leontopodium brachyactis-Saxifraga jacquemontiana-S. brunonis mixed) showed maximum conservation prioritization index value of threatened species, which requires monitoring attention for future conservation. The information is useful for the site-specific mapping of rare plants, communities, and habitats for quick planning and implementation program.

Keywords: Rarity identification criteria, diversity, distribution, habitat-wise, community basis, conservation prioritization index value.

Acknowledgment. We acknowledge the Directors of respective Institutes like GBPNIHE Almora India and CSIR-IHBT Palampur Himachal Pradesh, India for providing us the necessary research facilities with encouragement. The fund received from MOEF&CC (New Delhi) is highly acknowledged.

Conflict of Interests. Authors of this paper declare that there is no conflict of interests for publishing the data.

DOI: 10.24412/1993-3916-2022-3-23-44

POTENTIAL OF SOIL COVER BIOPRODUCTIVE RESOURCES: USE AND RENEWABLE SOURCES

Arid Ecosystems

Zalibekov Z.G., Mamaev S.A., Biarslanov A.B., Asgerova D.B., Magomedov R.A. POTENTIAL OF SOIL COVER BIOPRODUCTIVE RESOURCES: USE AND RENEWABLE SOURCES // Arid ecosystems. 2021. V. 27. № 1 (86). P. 15-23. | PDF

Soil resources are identified by regional factors of soil genetic differences. This approach is a multifunctional basis for soil resources accounting on a global, regional and local scale. Regional factors include the areas of functioning soils and their detailing characteristics: the contours’ dimensions, space measure, their quantity, principles of crossing lines and the turnover frequency. The purpose of this work is to identify the potential of bioproductive processes, where inherent potential of soil areas is marked by an unlimited increase in productivity within the existing soil dimensions and geometric outlines. The main difference is an increase of phytomass and photosynthetic activity of plants on a naturally limited area of soils from using the inexhaustible resources of the sun cosmic energy and the physical and geographical environmental processes. Combinations generated by soil properties and their usage lead to formation of renewable sources categories, compensating for the scarcity of new areas allocated for development.

Keywords: soil resources, phytomass, bioproductive potential, diversity, factors, solar energy, thermal energy, climate.

DOI: 10.24411/1993-3916-2021-10133

TRANSVOLGA-TRANSURAL STEPPES OF THE NORTHERN SUBZONE OF THE STEPPE ZONE: SPECIFIC FEATURES OF THE MODERN FORMATION DIVERSITY

Arid Ecosystems

Safronova I.N.,  Kalmykova O. G.,  Stepanova N. Yu. TRANSVOLGA-TRANSURAL STEPPES OF THE NORTHERN SUBZONE OF THE STEPPE ZONE: SPECIFIC FEATURES OF THE MODERN FORMATION DIVERSITY // Arid ecosystems. 2020. V. 26. № 4 (85). P. 4-9. | PDF

The significant part of the native Transvolga-Transural steppes of the northern subzone of the Steppe zone is destroyed by plowing. And on large territory they are represented by fallow lands of different age. It is known that communities of many formations are spread throughout the steppe zone. The differences in the structure of undisturbed communities in different subzones are quite clear. On fallow lands and pastures these differences are poorly visible. Basing on many years of our research of the vegetation cover in the steppe zone we aimed in 2018–2019 to find out how much the diversity of formations on the fallow lands changes and how their structure can be used to appreciate the subzonal status of the territory. The research is based on field studies including a route method, more than 100 geobotanical descriptions made by standard method, the analysis of which uses ecological-phytocoenotic classification; more than 700 herbarium sheets were collected. We revealed that zonal Stipa zallesskii steppes do not currently dominate in the Transvolga-Transural part of the Northern subzone, but Stipa capillata steppes are dominant representing the background vegetation on the fallow lands. Along with Stipa capillata steppes large areas are occupied by secondary Stipa lessingiana steppes. As peculiar component of the vegetation cover of the Northern subzone we can mention the communities of dwarf semishrubs. They are confined to saline soils or to the outputs of the rocks. Halophytic and petrophytic variants of steppes are represented not only by semi-shrub communities, but also by perennial grasses.

Keywords: Transvolga, Pre-Ural, Transural, steppe zone, forb-feather-grass steppes, diversity.

DOI: 10.24411/1993-3916-2020-10112

POPULATION AND COMMUNITY STRUCTURE PATTERN OF JUNIPEROUSPOLYCARPOS K. KOCH WITH CLIMATE CHANGE EFFECT IN THE COLD DESERT TRANS HIMALAYAN REGION, INDIA

Arid Ecosystems

Singh A.,  Samant S.S. POPULATION AND COMMUNITY STRUCTURE PATTERN OF JUNIPEROUSPOLYCARPOS K. KOCH WITH CLIMATE CHANGE EFFECT IN THE COLD DESERT TRANS HIMALAYAN REGION, INDIA // Arid ecosystems. 2020. V. 26. № 1 (82). P. 21-32 . | PDF

Juniperus polycarpos L. is one of the most threatened and livelihood plant species of the Himalayan region. The present study provides information about monitoring of its populations and proliferation rate in high altitude regions of Trans Himalaya. The survey revealed comprehensive information on J. polycarpos such as distribution range, habitat characteristics, composition, structural pattern, population size, uses and diversity status. Its distribution and density were maximal in pure forest habitats as compared to mixed habitats recorded. Middle forest altitudinal zone (3100-3500 m for dominant J. polycarpos community and 2710-3100 m for mixed communities) showed suitability for its growth and high density. The occurrence of species above treeline altitudinal zone (4100 m) indicates effect by climate change. A total 281 species (158 genera, 48 families, 37.04% native, 2.06% endemic, 23.87% near-endemic, 74.44% economically important and 20.28% threatened species) were recorded within its populations. Frequent monitoring of populations under climate change scenarios is suggested.

Keywords: populations structure, diversity, climate change studies, ethno-botanical studies, nativity, threatened species.

DOI: 10.24411/1993-3916-2020-10080